


Not a Weather Delivery Service

by Ellabee15



Series: Stormy Weather [5]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-05-15 10:12:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5782162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellabee15/pseuds/Ellabee15
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ororo meets Clint Barton and she is not impressed. What's an archer to do?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Disorganized grandstanding. That was Ororo’s impression of the Avengers’ fighting style. She’d offered her assistance taking down a Hydra base not too far from the Institute and so far she wasn’t impressed with “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.” 

Sure, Natasha was definitely the kind of person she could be friends with, Thor was kind and had automatically dubbed her his “lightning sister” and Captain America was everything his reputation had made him out to be, the problem came with the other teammates. Not Hulk, he ignored her except to call her Sparky. The problem was Tony Stark and Clint Barton.

“How do you put up with them?” She asked Natasha, watching as Tony grabbed a Hydra agent and began making him use his own hand to smack himself while taunting “Why are you hitting yourself?” over and over again.

“Strategically placed weapons.” Natasha explained. “Barton’s not too bad once you get to know him.” 

As she said this, the man in question ran off the roof of the building shouting “CATCH ME, HULK.” He was being chased by 5 Hydra agents. 

Hulk looked up disinterestedly then grunted, “stupid Hawk,” before going back to smashing a wall. 

Ororo summoned a wind current to buffet Barton as he fell, while throwing a disbelieving glance at Natasha.

“He grows on you.” The widow sighed. 

 

“My hero.” Barton walked over to her once the battle was over, grinning from ear to ear. “You and I should definitely team up sometime. I see a great partnership in our future.”

Ororo raised an eyebrow. “We’ll see.” She replied, silently swearing to never work alone with the archer. 

 

 

 

“Ro.” The call came at midnight. Ororo rubbed her eyes and cursed herself for even answering. 

“Who is this?” She asked. 

“It’s Barton, I need a favor.” 

Ororo blinked at the clock next to her bed. “It’s 1 am.” She hissed. “Wait…how did you get this number?”

“I’m a spy.” Barton explained. “Doing spy things, which is why I need your help; some precipitation down on 27th and 8th would be super appreciated right about now.” 

Ororo was in the middle of a yawn when his request registered. “This isn’t a weather delivery service.” She replied. 

“Come on, Ro.’ Barton whined, making Ororo cringe, though she wasn’t sure if it was the nickname or the voice. “I’m about to get my ass kicked by some really bad dudes and an unexpected torrential downpour would really be in my favor right about now.”

Ororo pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine.” She snapped, concentrating. 

“Thanks, Ro you’re the best.” Barton replied. There was a pause, then he squawked, “I DIDN’T MEAN SNOW.” 

“Good night.” Ororo said in a singsong voice before hanging up. The next morning when she came down for breakfast every news channel was reporting on the freak blizzard that had plagued 3 square blocks of Manhattan. If any of her team had any suspicions, they kept them to themselves. 

 

 

 

“Hello, Ro.” Barton slid into the seat across from her at an Avengers/Xmen mixer Stark was throwing in the Tower. 

“I see you’ve gotten over your cold.” Ororo commented taking a sip of her drink. 

“Thank you for that.” Barton said. “It’s nice to see you care.”

Ororo smirked and made to ignore him…except he kept staring at her. It was really unnerving and so annoyingly Barton. She knew better than to engage him, it would only encourage him, but a part of her enjoyed tearing him down. “What?” She asked. 

“You like me.” He said. 

“Don’t be ridiculous.” 

“You could have let me die out there; instead you chose to save my life.”

“By turning you into a snowman.” Ororo countered, but Barton seemed undaunted. 

“You’d be lost without me.” He continued. 

Ororo laughed. “That’s a bit of a leap, isn’t it?” She stood and walked over to Natasha. “Your boyfriend is driving me crazy.” She muttered. 

“Not my boyfriend.” Natasha replied, glancing slightly at Dr. Banner who was across the room talking to Hank. Ororo raised an eyebrow and mistook the slight weight off her chest for surprise that the Widow was interested in the Hulk rather than a reaction to Barton’s relationship status. 

 

 

 

“Ro.”

Ororo was snapped out of her meditative haze by Barton’s voice. She stubbornly kept her eyes closed, she’d come to the X mansion’s yoga studio to get a few minutes peace and she wasn’t letting Hawkeye ruin it. “Barton.” She said, feeling the serenity from her meditation slipping away. What did the archer want?

“I brought you this.” He held out something. Ororo opened an eye to see him holding a potted plant. It was an orchid with white petals and a red center. It was beautiful. Opening the other eye she looked up at Barton. “Nat said I was rude for asking you to save my life the other day and she’s usually right so I got you this. Apparently it’s from Kenya.” He seemed nervous. Ororo uncrossed her legs and stood.

“They were my mother’s favorite flower.” She said softly, accepting the pot. “I haven’t seen one since I was a girl.”

Barton’s eyes widened in surprise, then he grinned. “Lucky guess then.” 

“Thank you.” Ororo said, surprised by how much she meant it. Barton’s smile softened slightly and lost some of its usual mocking smugness. For a moment, Ororo relaxed around Barton. But of course, because it was Barton, he couldn’t let a nice moment go by without ruining it.

“Soooooo.” He said. “Does this mean I can call you to have you save me again some time? Send a rainstorm if I need it?” 

Ororo exhaled and rolled her eyes. “Unbelievable.” She muttered as she turned to leave the studio.

“What?” Barton called after her. “We were having a moment.”

“Emphasis on the past tense.” Ororo said. 

“Please.” Barton said. “What if I need a well-placed lightning bolt?”

“Call Thor.” She said opening the door. 

“Awww come on, Ro.” Barton said as he followed her. “Pleeeease.” She ignored him and went up the stairs to her room, slamming the door with a blast of wind. 

Later that night when she was brushing out her hair she looked over at the orchid. She was struck by the thoughtfulness of Barton’s having chosen a potted plant over a cut one. That way she could keep it. She gently touched the petals of one of the blooms, smiling in spite of herself. Outside, the rain that the news had been forecasting for weeks cleared away leaving a clear sky illuminated by the moon.

 

 

 

“Teams of two will go into the Danger Room.” Captain Rogers explained. “One Avenger. One Xman. The purpose of this exercise is teamwork. It doesn’t matter how quickly you clear the obstacles if only one person is doing the heavy lifting.” He shot a pointed look at Logan. Ororo was focused on Rogers, but out of the corner of her eye she could see Barton subtly moving closer to where she was standing. She closed her eyes and prayed to be paired with Romanov. 

“We paired you based on what would be the biggest challenge. It’s harder to work with someone you don’t see eye to eye with.” Charles explained. Ororo shot him a look of alarm. Please no, she silently begged. 

“In the field the situation might arise where you’ll have to rely on someone you wouldn’t have drinks with afterward.” Captain Rogers continued. “In order for this team partnership to work, we need to trust each other.”

“I’m not doing any feeling sharing circles.” Logan grumbled. 

“The teams are as follows.” Rogers said, speaking over him. “Iron Man and Wolverine.” There was a tense moment where everyone on either team glanced at each other. They’d all clearly come to the same conclusion; not everyone was surviving this exercise. 

“How dare you insinuate that Sasquatch and I aren’t best bros.” Tony huffed. 

“Watch it bub.” Logan growled.

“Iceman.” Rogers said. “You’re with me.” 

Bobby looked momentarily surprised, but nodded. 

“Thor and Cyclops.” Captain Rogers listed off. Ororo had to admire the ingenuity of the team up. Scott preferred well organized plans while Thor rushed to a confrontation to experience the “glory of battle”. 

“Cyclops and I shall be fast friends.” Thor declared, thumping Scott on the back and almost dislodging his visor. Scott glared at Cap and the professor. 

“Black Widow and Jean.” Cap continued. 

It was another good choice, Ororo mused. Natasha was a secretive person; a necessary skill in her line of work. Pairing her with a telepath would force her out of her comfort zone. 

“And finally Storm and Hawkeye.” 

“Awesome!” Barton grinned and threw his arm around Ororo’s shoulders. She hadn’t noticed how close he’d gotten and jumped slightly at the contact. “We got this, right Ro?”

“Right.” Ororo said through gritted teeth. Looking back at the professor she thought, Couldn’t I have been paired with Hulk instead?

Really Ororo. The professor sounded amused. Ororo sighed and knew it was useless. Dr. Banner had been excused from the exercise because they wanted to have a Danger Room afterwards. The professor looked at her and Barton and said. I think the two of you will work really well together.

Predictably, Logan and Stark failed the exercise. Logan “accidentally” cut open the front of Stark’s suit with his claws. Cap pulled the plug before Stark could retaliate. 

“He talks too much.” Logan growled as he left the Danger Room. 

Iceman and Cap went next. They worked reasonably well together and if anyone noticed how pale and taciturn Steve was after, they didn’t call attention to it. He was clearly still recovering from his time in the ice and he’d teamed up with Bobby to confront his PTSD. Ororo felt a stab of shame. If Steve could put aside his anxiety to cooperate with Bobby then surely she could work with Barton. 

Thor and Scott was definitely the most entertaining. The thunder god’s boisterous approach to confrontation clearly grated on Scott’s nerves, but for the sake of completing the exercise he didn’t say anything. 

“Congratulations.” Steve said when they exited the Danger Room. “You failed.” 

“WHAT?” Scott was outraged, finally snapping and losing his cool. 

“The purpose of the exercise was to confront what upsets you about your teammate and get past it. You decided to ignore it so you could finish.” 

Scott crossed his arms and glared at Steve, clearly debating the pros and cons of taking out his frustration on a national icon. 

Jean and Natasha went next. At first they didn’t seem to be able to coordinate and finally after a few minutes Natasha sighed and told Jean to just link them. After that they finished their challenge in record time. 

“Excellent.” Steve said as they left the Danger Room. 

It was now Ororo and Barton’s turn. The door opened and they stepped into the Danger Room. Just before the door closed behind them with a slam, Ororo could have sworn she heard Stark start a betting pool on how long it would take for her to kill Barton or make out with him. In front of them was a maze made completely of stone. Hank must have designed the exercise because it looked like it came straight out of the legend of the Minotaur. The walls were high and the maze opened up to a falsely programed sky; the point was clearly to get to the other side. 

“Maybe I can fly up and see how to direct us out.” Ororo suggested. She was about to take off when Barton grabbed her arm. 

“That’s too easy; you heard Cap. The point of this isn’t to finish but to work together.” He pulled out an arrow and shot it at the ceiling. It hit a force field, which rippled, showing Ororo that it spanned as far as the eye could see, probably over the whole maze. She closed her eyes and counted backwards from 10, slowing her breathing. She hated enclosed spaces and the fact that the force field would keep her grounded was bad enough without Barton’s presence. 

“So we walk.” She said as Barton bent down to pick up his fallen arrow.

“We walk.” Barton agreed, straightening up and motioning for her to lead. 

“Thank you.” She said after they entered the maze. “For…not letting me fly into the force field. I should have realized it wouldn’t be that simple, I’m off my game.”

“I tend to have that effect on women.” Clint sighed. 

Ororo rolled her eyes. Typical, she’d tried to bury the hatchet and he’d turned it in a smug self-serving compliment. Deciding not to respond she shot a glance at the ceiling where she knew the others were probably watching. She couldn’t work past her annoyance with Barton if he insisted on continuing to be a pain. They continued trying to figure out the maze, Ororo’s unease at being enclosed increased. She focused on continuing the excerise. After about 5 minutes Barton was fidgeting; silence clearly wasn’t something he was used to. 

“How’s the plant?” He asked. 

“Good.” Ororo said, grateful for the distraction. “It produced another flower yesterday.”

Barton nodded. “I know what our issue is.” He said. 

“Oh?” Ororo arched an eyebrow. “Pray tell.”

“You’re in love with me.” He said simply. 

Ororo let out a surprised laugh, her unease temporarily forgotten. “I’m what?” 

“It’s true.” Barton insisted. “You’ve convinced yourself that you hate me in order to resist the sexual tension.”

Ororo looked up at the ceiling, hoping it would open and offer her an escape. “No, I’ve correctly assumed that you suffer from an acute case of testosterone poisoning.” 

Barton held up his hands. “I don’t suffer, I enjoy every minute of it.” he said. Ororo rolled her eyes and was about to move forward when a slight change in the air alerted her to movement. There was something hoovering above them and it wasn’t the force field. Barton had noticed it too, because he pulled out an arrow and nocked his bow, looking around. 

“Get down.’ He said, all joking gone from his tone. Ororo ducked as he shot an arrow over her head, skewering a cloaked robot. It clattered to the ground. Barton knelt next to it and pulled out his arrow. Inspecting the tip, he put it back in his quiver. 

“You reuse your arrows?” She asked. Barton nodded. 

“If I run out, I lose my primary line of defense.” He explained. “The day we met, my plan was to jump from the roof and use a zipline arrow to go down safely, but when I was running, I realized that my arrows were gone. I had to use a ton to take down the Hydra goons and there were so many of them that I couldn’t fight all of them and get back my arrows.” He shrugged, “so I ran to lead them to the rest of the Avengers.” He frowned. “I was really hoping Hulk would catch me.” he muttered, then he smiled up at her and stood up. “But you did.” 

Ororo smiled. “Should we continue?” she asked. 

“We should talk more.” Barton said. “We don’t want to fail the exercise.”

“I didn’t take you for a teacher’s pet.’ Ororo said.

“I’m not, but I think you wouldn’t appreciate it if we didn’t do well.” Barton shrugged. “Plus have you ever since Cap’s disappointed face? It’s pretty rough.”

“What do you want to talk about?” Ororo said. 

“The weather.” Barton deadpanned. Ororo bit back a smile. 

“The weather.” She repeated. “Nice one. Amazingly no one’s ever made that joke before.”

“You slay me with your sarcasm, madam.” Barton smiled. 

“No that’s what the hurricanes are for.” Ororo said. 

“I just figured…you don’t seem to be the sort of person who likes talking about deep emotional stuff with an audience.” He glanced up to where the Danger Room control room was hidden by the illusion of the maze. “So we can make small talk instead. We can save the tough stuff for our second date.” 

Ororo stopped walking and closed her eyes. “How is it that you can say all the right things then immediately follow them up with statements like that?” She groaned. 

“It’s something I’ll reveal on our second date.” He said, smugly. “I’d bring tissues; my tragic origin story’s a real tear jerker.” 

“Funny, I don’t remember agreeing to a first date.” Ororo said. 

“You will.” He said confidently. 

“You are awfully sure of yourself.” Ororo couldn’t help the amusement creeping into her tone. 

“Not really; what I am is persistent. You’re beautiful, smart, and way out of my league.” He shrugged. “I like a challenge.”

“I’m a human being, Barton. Not a video game.” Ororo said. “Being referred to as a challenge isn’t a compliment; it’s degrading.” 

“Which is why we need to get to that second date so we can bare our souls to each other.” Barton said. 

Ororo was about to deliver a retort when a slight movement ahead of them caught her eye. Grabbing Barton and shoving him down she caused a polar wind to freeze the robot that was flying at his head. It fell to the floor in front of them. 

“Thanks.” Barton said, getting to his feet. He looked curiously at Ororo’s face. “You okay?” 

“No.” She said. “I…” She looked at the ground. “Enclosed spaces make me nervous. Usually I can handle being in the Danger Room, but this exercise is getting under my skin.” 

“Because I’m here?” Barton asked. “And I’m annoying you?” 

“No…I mean yes you are, but…” Ororo sighed debating whether or not what she was about to say was a good idea. “You annoying me isn’t necessarily a bad thing.” She said slowly. “It distracts me from thinking the walls are going to close in on me.” 

Instead of making a joke, Barton just nodded solemnly. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do.”

“That’s it?” Ororo asked. “No smart retort, no sexual innuendo about how you wouldn’t be afraid of my enclosed spaces?” 

Barton snorted and rubbed the back of his head. “That’s a good one, but no. I’d rather tease you when 100% of your concentration is focused on smart comebacks.” He gave her a sheepish smile. “So what do you want me to do?”

“Just…talk to me.” Ororo said. Barton’s smile widened into a grin. 

“That I can definitely do.” 

They continued the maze, talking amicably while occasionally taking out the robots. Barton told her about his dog, Lucky. Ororo told him about her travels with the team. It turned out that they liked the same pizza toppings (peppers and pepperoni), thunderstorms, and plants (though Barton admitted that he couldn’t keep plants alive, but he tried). Ororo offered him gardening lessons before she realized the words had left her mouth. Barton, to his credit, didn’t turn it into a quip but smiled and gave her a small nod. Finally they turned a corner and the exit to the maze was in front of them. Ororo was surprised at the stab of disappointment she felt at seeing the door. 

“We totally aced this.” Barton said, holding up his hand. “High five.”

Ororo grimaced, but indulged him. Then she opened the door and they left the Danger Room side by side. The professor and Captain Rogers were waiting for them. 

“The others left when they realized you weren’t going to tear each other to shreds or your clothes off.” Captain Rogers explained as Ororo shot a curious glance around the room. There was an amused glint in the super soldier’s eye. 

“I suppose the two of you will have no more problems going forward?” Charles asked. 

“I don’t know.” Barton sighed dramatically. “She’s really so unprofessional. Did you see how she manhandled me earlier? She just could not keep her hands to herself.” 

Ororo closed her eyes and shook her head. “Next time I won’t save your life.” She muttered.

“Not that I blame her.” Barton said. “I mean, who could resist these guns?” he flexed. 

“You do know sleeves have been invented, right?” Ororo retorted, walking out of the room. Barton followed. 

“I just like to show off my assets.” He said, cheekily. 

“I guess you need something to distract from your lack of brains.” Ororo said. 

Barton stepped in front of her, gently putting his hand on her arm. “Dinner tonight?” he asked. Ororo looked up at him and contemplated an outright refusal, but Natasha had been right; he really wasn’t so bad once you got to know him. 

Stepping closer she leaned forward so her mouth was next to his ear. He shivered slightly as she said. “I’ll think about it.” Smirking, she walked away. 

“Totally in love with me, Ro.” He called after her. 

“Not a chance, Clint.”


	2. Chapter 2

Ororo was forcing herself to remain calm. Sitting in the institute's yoga studio, she tried to meditate and center herself. It wasn't working. Every time she closed her eyes the burning anger came back and it was all she could do to stop herself from blowing the roof off. She needed to calm down. The door opened and someone sat next to her. When the calloused hand slid in hers she gripped it tight.

"Clint, you shouldn't be here." Her voice was wavering.

"Of course I should." He retorted. "I wouldn't be living up to my world's best boyfriend t shirt if I wasn't here." He ran a finger over the back of her hand. "Tell me what you need."

Ororo looked at the ever darkening clouds outside. Bottling up her emotions made her feel as if she was holding up the skies and truthfully, she was.  
"I need to let go." She said. Clint nodded.

"I know just the place." He stood, tugging her hand. "Come on. I have quinjet ready."

"Clint I..." She looked around. "I can't just leave. Not now."

"Ororo you can't keep pushing this down." Clint said. "Because you'll explode and while the others need you, you're no help to them if you're not taking care of yourself. Sometimes it's okay to put yourself first." He swallowed. "In this case I'd say it's downright necessary."

She relented allowing him to lead her to the jet. The pressure of holding back the rains was weighing on her and while she usually preferred real flight to being in a plane, she gratefully collapsed in the jet.

"The storm's following you." Clint said about an hour into the flight. It wasn't a question or accusation. It was just a fact. Ororo nodded.

"I summoned it with my..." She groaned as she felt the anger of the elements. Like the pain she kept hidden, they were howling at her to let them out. Clint gave her an encouraging smile.

"Almost there, Ro." He said. "I promise. It'll be alright."

After an interminable length of time, the jet touched down in an empty field. Clint opened the door and she practically ran out. Standing in the center of the field, she hesitated.

"There's no one for miles." Clint said, coming to stand next to her. "Let go "

She looked at him gratefully. "You should take cover."

"And miss this?" Clint's signature teasing smirk was in place. "Not on your life."

"Clint." She warned. 

"I trust you, Ro." He said. "Now let go." 

Ororo looked up at the sky and did just that. The pain that had been inside her since the death of the professor. The wrenching loss of Jean. The heavy burden of leading the X-Men that now fell onto her shoulders. She cried and her tears became rain. She screamed and her rage turned to wind. She sobbed and her cries became the thunder 's roar. She fed the storm and gave it all her hurt and anger and sorrow until there was nothing left to give. Through all of it Clint stood silently by her side. She fell to her knees, letting out dry heaving sobs as she clutched her chest. He knelt next to her in the wet grass, pulling her close.

He didn't give her false assurances that everything was going to be okay. He didn't attempt to get her to talk. He just waited until she was ready.

"I needed that." She finally croaked when she was capable of talking once more.

He nodded. She looked up at him. "You're disturbingly quiet."

"Well. I just realized that I'm dating a goddess." He looked at her without a trace of fear or judgment. "How do you feel?"

"Like I need to sleep." She replied. It had been a long time since she'd last let herself freely use her powers in that way and she felt a bit faint.

"I got you." Clint murmured. Her eye lids became heavy and she had the slight sensation of being carried before she slipped into unconsciousness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next morning she woke in an unfamiliar bed. She frowned and sat up, putting a hand to her head. That level of power expenditure did not come without its price. Clint had changed her into one of his shirts and boxers. She walked down the stairs. The house she was in was a pleasant farm house. Clint was in the kitchen, burning something.

He smiled when he caught sight of her. "I was hoping to surprise you with breakfast in bed."

She slid into a chair across from him. "With your cooking skills I'll be lucky to have that breakfast next week." She grinned as he sniffed and turned his back on her, scraping burnt eggs into the trash.  Glancing out the window he said. "What's the weather going to be like today?"

Ororo leaned on her hand. "Mostly gray." She said. "But nothing as bad as last night."

Clint handed her a pot of tea with a mug. He hated her "leaf water" but ever since they'd begun dating he always kept his cabinet full of different varieties.

She smiled up at him and took his hand, putting it on her shoulder. "You are earning that world's best boyfriend t shirt." She commented.

"Oh I know." Now that he was sure she wasn't holding back a biblical storm, he was becoming more playful.

"Even if you bought it yourself." She said. He leaned down, brushing his lips against her ear. 

"I've got matching sweat pants that say property of the goddess across my ass." He walked forward and did a little shimmy before walking over to the freezer. "Toaster waffles?"

"Sounds good." She moved the cup of tea around before asking. "Where are we?"

"This is my farm. I bought it after I joined the avengers and Tony gave me access to his credit card. Fixing it up helps me relax." He put two waffles in the toaster. "Kate's watching Lucky this weekend, so you have me all to yourself." He wagged his eyebrows.

"Kate's always watching Lucky." Ororo said, thinking of Clint's young protege. "At this point he's more her dog than yours."

Clint winced and took a sip of coffee. "You may be on to something there." He mumbled.

A silence fell and along with it, the reminder of why the trip had been necessary.

"I want to show you something." He said. Leading her up the stairs he took her past the bedroom she'd woken up in towards a door at the end of the hall. Pushing it open, he motioned for her to go through first. 

The room had been turned into a meditation studio. It had large windows, which didn't fit the design of the house, so Clint must have installed them specially for her. The floor was smooth and covered with a comfortable carpet. There was a bookshelf with some of her favorites and others she recognized as titles she'd mentioned she should get around to reading. 

"Clint." She said, turning to look at him. He shoved his hands in his pockets. 

"I want this to be your place too." He explained. "And now that you're the badass headmistress of the institute and leader of the Xmen, you'll definitely need a sanctuary." He held up a key. "This is the key to the house. Fly in any time." 

Ororo was touched by his gesture. "You are a rare man, Clint Barton." 

He smiled and stepped into the room. "You know they'd be proud of you if  they could see you." 

Ororo nodded. "That does not make it easier." She took the key from his hand. "I cannot even begin to tell you how much this means." 

"You can start by letting yourself relax once in a while." Clint said. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during Civil War when Antman, Hawkeye, Falcon, and Scarlet Witch are in The Raft.

Scott was pacing in his cell.

"You're going to drive yourself crazy." Clint's voice stopped him. He was lying in the cell next to him, smirking.

Scott glared at him. "How are you so calm?" He demanded.

"Because." Clint shrugged. "There's no way in hell my girlfriend leaves me down here to rot."

Scott's eyes narrowed. "Girlfriend?" He shook his head. "I appreciate you trying to take my mind off us being doomed to eternity down here, but at least make your story believable." He looked across at Wanda and Sam's cells neither of them seemed to be as surprised as he was. Sam shook his head, while Wanda sat cross legged, attempting to meditate. "You can't be buying this." 

Wanda opened her eyes and put her legs on the ground. "I'm not going to be able to concentrate." She muttered. 

Scott looked back towards Clint's cell. "I'm kind of an expert in the pain in the ass department, which is why I know, that no sensible woman would put up with you." 

"He's not wrong, Barton." Sam said. "We're all still wondering what the hell she's doing with you." 

Clint smirked. "It's my winning charm." 

"I still haven't ruled out mind control." Sam retorted. 

"No." Wanda said. "I've checked and there is no interference." 

"Hey." Clint looked at her in indignation. 

"I had to be sure." Wanda shrugged. "She is way too good for you." 

Clint nodded, solemnly. "This is very true." He leaned back. "And she's going to save us, no worries." 

"Why, because she's a super hero, too?" Scott said sarcastically. "Let me guess; she operates in Canada." 

"Westchester New York." Clint corrected. 

"And she's probably going to come here to kick Clint's ass for getting himself locked in a high security prison...again." Sam muttered. 

"Okay," Scott leaned against the bars. "I get it. This imaginary girlfriend thing is a haze the new guy situation. You got me." 

The three Avengers rolled their eyes. Clint was about to say something when a loud crack resounded in their cellblock, causing Scott to jump away from the bars. A blue-skinned man with a tail wearing a yellow and blue suit. He scanned the room until his eyes fell on Clint. 

"Hey, Kurt." Clint waved cheerily at him. 

Kurt tilted his head, a smug smile curling his lips. Tapping his ear, he whispered. "I have him, Storm." He pointed at Clint. "She is not happy." 

"I figured." Clint sighed, turning off his hearing aid. 

"Storm?" Scott gaped at him. "As in leader of the X-men, Storm?" 

There was an earsplitting sound of metal on metal. All the people in the room dropped to their knees, covering their ears, except Clint. The door was flung across the room by a gale force wind. Standing in the doorway were Wolverine and Storm. Storm swept into the room, waving a hand towards Sam and Wanda's cells. Wolverine walked over and began hacking them open. Storm walked over to Clint's cell. Clint turned on his hearing aid before walking up to the bars. "Hey babe." He said. 

"Barton." She said, pleasantly. "We have about 3 minutes before reinforcements arrive." She smirked. "Do you think its enough time to explain why I should take you with me?" 

"Because you love me?" Clint suggested. Wolverine opened Scott's cell before coming to stand behind Storm, waiting for her instructions. "And let's face it, you'd be bored during the weekends if you didn't have to come save my ass every two seconds." He  touched her arm. "Come on, Ro. Please? I'll be extra grateful." He wagged his eyebrows. 

"I'm sorry." Scott was gaping at the two of them. Ororo turned and looked at him. "Is this for real?"

She turned back to Clint. "Ant Man." He explained. "He's annoying, but he kicked Falcon's ass." 

"Hey." Sam protested. 

"I did," Scott said. 

"Kurt get them out of here." Ororo ordered. Kurt grabbed Scott as Wanda and Sam put their hands on his shoulders. A loud crack went through the air as they disappeared. Scott's mouth was half open in protest. 

"Thank you." Clint said. "He did not know when to shut up." 

"I wonder what that's like." Ororo muttered, moving away from the bars. "Logan." She motioned to the cell. Wolverine arched an eyebrow.

"You sure?" He said. "This is your way out." He sighed as Ororo gave him an unamused look. "Fine." He cut the cell open. Clint came out, moving towards Ororo, but she stepped back, turning her cheek away. Kurt appeared and grabbed hold of them. They appeared on the X-jet. Ororo swept over to the pilot's seat. 

"Strap in." She ordered. Clint beat Wolverine to the co-pilot's seat and buckled himself in. He waited until the plane was airborne. 

"Ro-" He began. She held up a hand. "I-" 

"Not here." She cut him off. She was pissed, that much was obvious by the winds and lightning they flew through. Though the winds howled around them, the plane didn't have any turbulence. She was creating the storm as cover for their escape...and it also helped her get out her anger. They landed the plane. Ororo swept out of the jet, Clint followed. 

"Where are we?" Scott asked. 

"Private island." Logan grunted. "No extradition treaty." He glared at Scott. "No one to hear you scream, bub."

Scott gulped and shifted away from him. 

"We relocated the school after Cap contacted us about the Sokovia accords." Ororo said. "I couldn't have the students put on a government registry." She walked over to the exit of the hangar. Clint sighed.

"On a scale of one to category 5 hurricane, how screwed am I?" He asked Wolverine. Logan smirked.

"I never liked you, Barton."

"Thanks." He muttered before going to follow Ororo. She was taking off her uniform when he came into her room. He didn't say anything, waiting instead for her to go first. She'd changed into sweats and a t-shirt. She took a deep breath before looking up at him. 

"You didn't even think to call me?" 

"Ororo." He murmured. 

"3 days." She growled. "I haven't been able to find you for 3 days." She struggled to get her emotions under control. "How are we supposed to work if you can't trust me enough to involve me when you go rogue?" 

"Because I wanted you as far away from this fight as possible." Clint said. "I knew you'd have to help the students and-" 

"No." Ororo said. "You don't get to make my decisions for me." She stood, glaring at him. "You should have told me what was happening and let me decide the best course of action. How am I supposed to trust you if you don't think its important to inform me when you become a fugitive from international law?" 

"Because I couldn't lose you." Clint shouted. "Those Accords were much more dangerous for you and mutants than they were for me. I can deal with something bad happening to me, but not you." He dropped his head. "Never you." He whispered. 

Ororo pulled him against her, putting her head on his shoulder. He slumped, letting out a sigh of relief as he held her. 

"Why is it," She murmured into his neck. "That you think it's inexcusable to lose me, but don't see how I think it's inexcusable for me to lose you?" 

"Because I'm an idiot." Clint said. "And I love you." 

Ororo smiled. "You are." She agreed. "And I love you too." 


	4. Chapter 4

Clint held Ororo in a vise grip, terrified that the entire last few hours might have been a dream. She shifted, her eyes lazily opening. She smiled. "Hey." She whispered. The morning sun filtered in through the curtains and the waves crashed outside. Clint pushed her hair from her neck, pressing his lips against it. She hummed as he ground his hips against hers. 

"You saved my life." He whispered, running his hand along her curves. Ororo chuckled. 

"I just broke you out of prison." She said. 

"I didn't mean yesterday." Clint murmured. "I mean every day." His hands moved over her abdomen, going into her pajama bottoms. Ororo's eyes closed as she sucked in a breath. "I don't know if you've noticed." Clint continued, his voice dropping lower as her hips began rolling in time with his fingers. "But I sometimes have a tendency towards reckless behavior." 

"I'm shocked." She replied, her voice ragged. She moaned as he ground against her. 

"Well, you give me a reason to be careful." He pressed his tongue against the base of her throat. Ororo arched her back, the fabric of her shirt, slipping off her shoulders. She was definitely awake now, her mouth open as loud groans accompanied each thrust of his fingers. 

"Clint." 

"I need you, Ro." He pressed sloppy kisses to her jawline. She gripped his hair, tugging at her pajama bottoms, pushing them downwards. Clint moved his hand away, causing her to let out a whine. She turned and Clint knew her well enough to know that she'd shove him on his back and have her way with him, but he didn't want rough this morning. Quickly pushing down his pants and hers, he grabbed her thigh, lifting it. He grit his teeth, sliding his erection against her wet folds. Ororo quivered slightly. Rocking his hips back and forth, he bit his lip, hissing slightly. 

"Clint." She gasped. He pushed inside her, his vision went black as she tightened and quivered around him. Her hand in Clint's hair tightened his grip. He moved slowly, Ororo matching his every move, her skin becoming slick with sweat. He tried to keep his pace slow, but it was too much. Too much. Clint sped up. 

"I'm close." He ground out. Ororo pulled away, moving forwards. Clint let out a cry as he thrust in surprise at empty air. "Ro." He whimpered. She pushed him flat on his back. She sank back on him, controlling the pace, one hand guiding his to her breast, the other pressing and rubbing her clit. Clint lifted his hips off the bed, thrusting into her. She clamped down on him, and cried out. Outside, rain began falling even though the sun shone. Clint could see a rainbow forming. He could see stars and white light reflecting off silver hair. He couldn't breathe, his chest tight as he collapsed bonelessly on the bed. Ororo settled on him, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. 

"What did I do to deserve you?" He whispered. She gave him a lazy smile. 

"That's a good question." She hummed, lying her head on his chest. "You should keep asking it."


	5. Chapter 5

There were explosions coming from the kitchen. Actual explosions. 

Clint had walked in, kicked everyone out, and now all the base's inhabitants were too afraid to go inside. Kitty and Jubilee peeked around the corner only to duck back. Rogue walked up to the door. 

"That's it." She growled. "I'm goin' in there." 

Kiity grabbed her. "It could be dangerous." She hissed. 

Rogue glared at her. "It's 9:45, and ah haven had mah coffee." Her eyes flashed. "ah'm dangerous." She walked into the kitchen, hands on her hips. Clint was piling a stack of pancakes on a plate. There was a tray with chopped fruit, tea, two cups, and syrup. He glanced over at her. 

"I'll be done in three minutes." He said. Rogue frowned. 

"If you poison, Storm..." She warned. Clint pressed a hand to his heart. 

"I'll have you know that I have made breakfast in bed ever since we started dating. She hasn't died once...that I know of." 

Rogue crossed her arms. "There's a first time for everything." She muttered. 

Clint huffed. "As much as I love going toe to toe with you. I have a hungry woman waiting on me." He put the pancakes on the tray. "She's hungry because of the workout I gave her." He picked up the tray and wagged his eyebrows and turned to walk out of the kitchen only to be met face to face with an irate Wolverine. "In...training." He added. "She put in a lot of training and I wore her out training." 

Wolverine grunted, grabbed the top most pancake and glared at him. Clint rushed out of the kitchen. Wolverine sniffed the pancake suspiciously before taking a bite. His expression darkened. Rogue arched an eyebrow. 

"Is it terrible?" 

"No." Wolverine grumbled. "It's good." He looked around at the mess of the kitchen. "If he didn't make Ro so happy..." 

"Who says he does?" Rogue said, still feeling murderous as she riffled through the cabinets for coffee. 

The gloomy day outside brightened. Rogue groaned as Logan pointed. "That." He glared at the sun. "That says he does."


	6. Chapter 6

To say Ororo and Clint were like night and day would be an understatement. Natasha had always maintained that they might as well be night and day on different planets. Clint was a walking accident, disheveled and unkempt, constantly covered in bandaids that he asserted took the pain away no matter what the injury ("You can't cure a broken rib with a Hello Kitty bandaid Barton." "Watch me, Stark.") Ororo on the other hand, was the picture of elegance. She could call up whirlwinds without putting a hair out of place. She was the epitome of grace and poise. 

Their contrast was on full display one morning when he and Scott are playing video games in the rec room at the secret X-men's complex. Ororo was sitting in the corner, reading a book while Clint cursed up a storm, slamming his fingers down on the controls. Steve walked in and frowned, shaking his head at the sight. 

"What's bothering ya, bub?" Logan asked, coming to stand beside him. 

"No matter how many times I see it, I still don't understand it." Steve motioned to Ororo and Clint. "Love truly is blind." 

Logan's brow furrowed, then he smirked. "They're not as mismatched as you might think." he said, cryptically before walking out. Steve was about to ask him to clarify when Clint let out a particularly virulent and creative stream of curses. 

"Barton." He barked. Clint looked over his shoulder. Steve motioned to Ororo. She looked up from her book. 

"Don't worry, Cap." She smiled. "I've gotten him to say worse." 

Logan came back in, tossing Ororo a ball and glove. "Game in 5." He said. She caught the glove in the air and arched an eyebrow. 

"Are you sure?" Her mouth curled into a smile. "You remember what happened last time." 

"Oh I know." He looked over at Steve. "But he doesn't." 

 

 

About an hour later Steve was gaping at Clint dragging Ororo away from fighting Kurt over a contested foul ball. She was cursing like a sailor, the hat on her head falling off as she tried to lunge past Clint. Logan saddled over next to him, puffing on a cigar. "Still think they don't make sense?" he asked. Steve could only shake his head.


End file.
